If every simple song I wrote to you
by whayjhey
Summary: Percy Jackson certainly doesn't look like it, but apparently he writes the best poems in English class. (A short story wherein Annabeth's into a different genre of music, but she still has a thing for guys who play the guitar. Percabeth. AU. For ate mae and kate felafel)
1. Chapter 1

**This was inspired by all the Punk!Percy fics I've read, and lately I've been obsessed with the image. Unfortunately, I really have no idea what the word "punk" entails, so I made my own version of it. Haha. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own PJO, HoO, all songs mentioned in this story, and any other familiar references. All rights belong to their respective owners.

* * *

" _Hey there Delilah, I've got so much left to say.  
If every simple song I wrote to you would take your breath away,  
I'd write it all.  
Even more in love with me you'd fall."_

- _Hey There Delilah_ , The Plain White Ts

* * *

 **If every simple song I wrote to you**

 **Chapter one**

Percy Jackson annoyed Annabeth for a number of reasons.

He rarely smiled, for one, and that little fact bothered her more than it should be. Annabeth liked to think that his too skinny jeans were what caused him to grimace all the time, or that the dark T-shirts he liked to wear were causing all the sunshine to shy away and prevent themselves from gracing his day.

He didn't look _that_ "punk rock", she had decided long ago, but he wore enough band shirts and he ignored the rest of the students frequently like they weren't cool enough for him, so Annabeth steered clear from him nonetheless.

Also, Percy Jackson certainly didn't look like it, but apparently he wrote the best poems in her English class.

Of course, it's such a silly thing to be annoyed about, but every time Ms. Hudson returns the poems they submit every week, it's Percy that she smiles at.

Not Annabeth. Perfect, straight A student, I-didn't-cram-this-poem Annabeth Chase. Oh, no. Ms. Hudson smiles at ripped jeans-sporting, headphones-wearing Percy Jackson.

"Amazing as always, Percy," the teacher would say. He'd reply by smiling slightly before going back to his usual grimace. On the days Annabeth thinks he's in a good mood, he'd actually wear a poker face. Ms. Hudson would pass by Annabeth, give her back her only second best poem, and pass by her without the praise she gives Percy all the time.

And it easily became a routine. She'd glare at him from behind and (hopefully) burn holes on the back of his head.

The worst part is that Percy Jackson doesn't care at all. His whole presence infuriates Annabeth more than anything, yet he isn't even _aware_ of the effect he had on her. Class would end and he'd stand up quickly like everyone else, headphones already in place, and exit without taking another glance back.

Annabeth would huff, earn another sense of determination to write a better poem next time, and leave for her next class where she was _sure_ she was going to be appreciated for all her hard work.

She should probably blame her competitiveness and perfectionism for her odd fascination with making a better literary piece that's only ten percent of her grade.

But she completely blamed Percy Jackson, anyway.

* * *

If there was anything Annabeth loved more than studying, it was probably her music.

And right now, she needed it more than ever.

She could hear her parents shouting in the room next to hers. She flinched when she realized that her iPod was already at its fullest volume, yet she could still hear the profanities pouring naturally from her parents' mouths as if the blasphemies were their second language.

It was amazing how she could still manage to study with this ruckus every night. It was even more amazing how they still think she hasn't noticed even after months of it.

She even figured out what the problem was without them telling her. Apparently it involved Greece and her mother possibly leaving. It involved his father and wanting to stay close to his work. It involved stuff about him never supporting her dreams, and about him only marrying her because of a mistake one night that conceived their daughter.

That's usually the part where Annabeth stops listening, and usually her music did an awesome job of drowning the noise.

Not tonight, however.

Vivaldi's _Spring_ was already blasting from her headphones and she tried very, very hard to focus on the high notes of the violin arrangement she already knew by heart.

" _I'm just saying!"_ her mother was yelling, her voice muffled by the walls. _"And don't you_ dare _say that I love work more than I love my daughter—"_

" _Bullshit!"_ her father retaliated. Was it possible that the walls were shaking? _"You know what? Annabeth and I aren't stopping you from leaving!"_

" _I've been meaning to! And I mean it this time, Frederick!"_

Her mother's next words made Annabeth's heart stop.

" _The papers are on their way!"_

It certainly didn't help that Beethoven's _Symphony No. 5_ was what played next. The _dun-dun-dun-duuuun_ was definitely mocking her.

Unfortunately, that was all it took for Annabeth to act on her next decision. She shut her Biology book, turned off her desk lamp, and quickly stood up from her desk, her chair making a loud screeching noise. She moved to her closet where she retrieved her jacket and socks, before squatting down to put on her shoes.

She later found herself grabbing her keys and exiting their front door.

* * *

She didn't know where she stopped driving.

She quickly paused her iPod – _Pathetique_ by Beethoven was playing, because she was feeling particularly dramatic that night – and stepped out of her car. She surveyed her surroundings, and she wanted to smack herself when she realized where she ended up.

She was nearly at the border of the next town. She could already see the _Welcome!_ sign a hundred meters ahead of her. That meant she was driving for nearly an hour already. If her parents noticed her absence, they'd be worried sick by now (or she hoped they would be, at least). Thank the gods it was a Friday night.

Annabeth sighed and leaned against her car. She was pretty content with staying that way when she suddenly heard footsteps. Her panic hadn't even begun to settle in when a bright light that nearly blinded her was directed onto her face.

The culprit was already laughing at her freaked out expression.

At least she acquired the senses to glare.

"Annabeth Chase, is that you?" Mystery guy was still guffawing. "Man, you should've seen your face!"

Annabeth squinted until her eyes already adjusted to the intruding light.

Her heart stopped for the millionth time that night once she realized who the person was.

So _not_ the person she wanted to see tonight. She nearly groaned at her bad luck.

"Percy Jackson." She glared at him. "What do you think you're doing scaring people at a time like this?!"

He smirked. "Please. How could you not have seen me approaching? I saw your car, like, five minutes ago."

She finally noticed that he was carrying his phone to use as light on one hand, and the other was carrying something black and huge by the handle. He was wearing his usual jeans and black Converse, but he had a sleeveless shirt on this time that showed off his toned arms. He topped his look with black fingerless gloves.

The weirdest part? He was grinning at her. Percy Jackson _never_ smiled.

The next thing she noticed got her gawking. "Are you wearing… eyeliner?"

"Huh?" Percy raised an eyebrow before his eyes widened in recognition. "Oh. Oh, yeah. My friends always insist that I wear some every time we hangout. Not really a fan of it, but I've been told I look good."

He grinned smugly for effect, not a single bit embarrassed. Annabeth scoffed at him, before internalizing what he just said.

"Friends?" It was her turn to raise her eyebrows. "You have friends?"

He rolled his eyes. "Should I be offended that you think that I don't?"

"No," she retorted. "Just that… you don't hangout with anyone at school."

He shrugged. "No one shares the same interests," he said simply.

Annabeth wondered what these "interests" were. This was honestly the first time she ever got to talk to the person who's annoyed her since the beginning of the school year. Heck, this was probably the first time anyone from their school talked to Percy Jackson ever.

"So," he started once she went quiet. "What brings you to this part of the town?"

She scowled at him, finally remembering why she ran out here in the first place. "That's none of your business." But she was a hypocrite because she asked, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I told you." He shrugged again. "I was hanging out with my friends."

"Do your friends dress like that?"

She could see him smirking under the moonlight. "Worse." He motioned for her car with his head. "So. Are you going to give me a ride home or what?"

Her nostrils flared at his candor. "You wish, Jackson. Why don't you call your friends instead?"

"Eh," he muttered. "It's Friday night. They're out drinking at a party."

Huh. "You're not one for partying?"

"Hey, honestly." His eyebrows scrunched in confusion and maybe annoyance. "What sort of image do I have in your head?"

"You're annoying," she blurted out. "I'm trying to create an ugly persona of you so that when I leave you out here alone, my reasons are justified. And then I won't have to feel guilty."

"I thought you were the good girl?" Percy challenged her.

She scoffed at him. "I _am_."

"So give me a ride home."

He wasn't even bothered at her adamant refusal; he seemed to find her grumbling amusing.

"Maybe I don't want to go home yet, Jackson," she hissed at him, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"Yeah, um, I can't go back to my original plan of walking all the way home." Percy grinned sheepishly. "Now that you're here. So, okay. I'll wait for you."

Annabeth's eyebrows shot up. "Walk all the way home? Are you _insane_?" But then again she kind of liked the idea. "On second thought, you do that. I don't care."

He surprised her by taking several steps closer to her. He raised a perfect eyebrow at her, and with the proximity, Annabeth noticed for the first time how his green eyes had tiny specks of blue that reminded her of the ocean. She noticed the tiny freckles on his tan face. It didn't help that when she looked away, she noticed his muscled arms and the ripped sleeves on his shirt bustling in the wind.

"Oh, you don't, do you?" He asked, smirking with his lips dangerously close to ghosting hers.

She hated to admit that she was probably hypnotized for a total of two seconds.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, remembering that _this was Percy Jackson for crying out loud Annabeth what is wrong with you?_ and taking a step back instead of pushing him away. Her back nearly hit the hood of her car. "All right, get in! Gods, you're so _annoying_."

Percy smiled victoriously as he pocketed his phone. He clutched his chest with his now free hand. "Why, thank you, Miss Chase." He jogged to the passenger side of the car, but not before opening the backdoor and dropping the heavy thing he was carrying earlier. Annabeth finally noticed that it was a guitar case.

So. Percy Jackson played the guitar.

Not that she found guys who could play instruments attractive.

Nope.

Not. At. All.

He got into her car first and left her pondering what she got herself into. Rolling her eyes quite dramatically, she decided to face the inevitable and got into her own side of the car. Percy was already in the car, anyway, and she definitely wasn't going to leave herself stranded just because the most annoying person of all time was in her vehicle.

He made her want to strangle him, but she wasn't stupid.

The first thing Percy did once the engine hummed to life was fiddle with Annabeth's iPod. The last riffs to Beethoven's masterpiece were barely fading when he made a face at her.

"I give you a ride home, you respect my music," she warned him.

He grunted but obliged. Debussy's _Clair de Lune_ soon filled the car. Percy's eyes widened in recognition.

"Hey, why does this sound familiar?"

Annabeth smirked. "Soundtrack for _Twilight_. You've watched it, haven't you?"

"No," he scoffed at her until she raised her eyebrow in anticipation. "Okay. Maybe I have. But I was with my mom. She felt that she needed tons of romantic inspiration for her books."

This was probably the most she's heard Percy Jackson talk.

"Oh, yeah." Annabeth nodded. "Sally Jackson, right? I read her articles on the town paper. She's good."

He grinned at her. "She'll love to hear that."

"While we're on the subject… is your mom aware that you're out of town in the dead of the night?"

He slumped back in his seat, rolling his eyes and bringing his gloved hands up in exasperation. "As a matter of fact, yes. Hey, just because I look totally bad boy and totally hot, doesn't mean I'm a bad guy."

"You killed it when you said _totally hot_."

"Well, am I not?"

"No," she lied. He was annoying and that already made up for any sort of attractiveness he seemed to possess.

"I'm in a band, in case you're wondering," he continued. "My mom's not really all happy about the idea of me staying up too late, but it's kind of like a part-time job. Helps pay the bills. In return, I just don't have to dress – ehem – _scary_ for her. At least, not too much."

So Percy played the guitar, is a momma's boy, and is incredibly chatty.

But her mind was still reeling at the first part of his story. "A band?"

He grinned, kind of proudly from what Annabeth could deduce. "Yeah. We started about two years ago. Slowly growing every since."

"You guys any good?"

"People like to think so. We're all incredibly good-looking, so I guess that helps."

"You killed it again." But she was trying hard to hide her smile. Yeah, okay. So she couldn't deny that fact. At least, the man beside her was proof enough. She wondered who the rest of his friends were…

He burst out laughing. "You should come watch us some time. Funny. You're the first person from our school to know about this. Could you maybe spread the word for publicity?"

"Uh, yeah, in case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly into the same type of music." She motioned for her iPod. "And why don't you just talk to some people at school?"

"I haven't actually… like, found fellow Fall Out Boy enthusiasts."

"And you're the only one who dresses like that."

"Yup."

"You should smile more," she added before she could stop herself. "You rarely smile… so, yeah. This is weird."

"Well," he considered what she just said. "You're giving me a ride home, so I'm bound to smile for you and talk to you. And you're funny entertainment because I think I annoy you."

One of her hands let go of the steering wheel and hit him on the shoulder.

He guffawed at her annoyed face, further proving his point.

"Also, if I smiled at school, the female population probably wouldn't be able to take my devilishly handsome face."

" _Killing it._ "

* * *

It was a miracle that she was able to survive the past hour.

It was funny, because the person beside her now was definitely not the person she thought sat in her English class.

The Percy Jackson sitting on the passenger seat of her car was smiling mischievously and teasing her about the little things she did. He was talking nonstop which was a phenomenon in her book, because she _never_ saw him talk at school at all. She wondered what caused him to change his demeanor.

(So maybe she also thought he was sort of attractive. But, whatever. He was still annoying.)

"We're here!" he cheered like a little kid when Annabeth stopped in front of his house. He suddenly turned around on his seat and sat up in such a way that his knees were on the cushion. His shirt rode up a little as he reached for his guitar in the backseat.

She didn't stare at the small exposed portion of his tan skin.

She didn't. _Honest_.

"I wonder if mom's still awake," he mused, sitting back properly.

"It's nearly two in the morning," she said. "I doubt it."

He shrugged. "You'd be surprised. She likes to stay up late writing."

At the mention of his mother, she remembered her own and the reason why she ran in the first place. Her stomach tightened at the thought, and Percy seemed to notice her apprehension. One of his hands hesitated on the handle of the door.

He licked his lips before answering (and it wasn't like she noticed). "Thanks for the ride, Chase. Are you… uh, are you okay?"

She managed to smile for him. "I'm fine. You should go."

"Getting rid of me already?" He faked a hurt expression, putting a hand over his chest. "And here I was thinking that we were starting to become friends."

"No," she protested but she was smiling at his attempts to make her laugh. "I just took pity on you because you're too much of a kelp head that you considered walking all the way home."

"Thank the gods for you then." He made a face before sporting a concerned one again. "Seriously, though. If you don't want to go home yet… uh, do you want to, like, I don't know… talk about it?"

She snorted. "Don't push it, Jackson. I've only known you for approximately one hour."

"And you already know that I'm in a band and you already think I'm the most handsome guitarist you've ever met."

"I only know one guitarist and that's coincidentally you."

"Handsome, yes? But, uh. I'm not pushing you or anything. But you know. I'll be here. Or something."

"Or something," she laughed. Before she could stop herself, she added, "It's just the parents. They were, uh, fighting loudly. So I left and ended up where you found me."

He nodded seriously, all previous thoughts of teasing gone. "Oh. Well that's a bummer. Did you know that my last stepfather was an asshole?"

She cocked her head to the side. "No." She wanted to tell him that she didn't know a lot of things about him before today, but she kind of liked that this annoying dork was being sweet.

"Yeah, well, a few years ago my mom finally dumped him and left. And… okay." He shook his head. "This doesn't really help, nor does it have any relation to what you just shared. But, uh, I know it sucks to have bad parent history. But it gets better. My mom and I are happy now. You will be, too. Just give your parents time."

"It gets better," Annabeth repeated slowly, testing the new mantra. "Okay. I… uh, thanks, Percy."

He grinned. "Now I'm handsome _and_ I give great advice. I'm cool."

"Sure you are," she allowed. "It's late. Your mom's probably wondering why there's an alien car in her lawn. You should sleep now."

He nodded, finally pushing the door open. "Nah, my mom won't mind." He stepped outside the car and waved at her with his free hand. "Not when she sees that there's a pretty driver. See you, Chase."

It was a good thing that he had shut the door before her cheeks started becoming an embarrassing shade of pink.

When she arrived home that early morning, her parents had grounded her for driving them mad with worry.

But she couldn't bring herself to care.

 **part one of five**

* * *

 **Songs used:** _Hey There Delilah_ by The Plain White Ts; _Spring_ by Vivaldi; _Symphony No. 5_ by Beethoven; _Pathetique_ by Beethoven; _Clair de Lune_ by Debussy. I own nothing.

 **tumblr:** itsscaryyoke. Link is on my profile.

Thank you for reading! -YJ


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for reading! Here is part two! (and tbh i have no idea how this got so long. read: this was a pain to write)**

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own PJO, HoO, all songs mentioned in this story, and any other familiar references. All rights belong to their respective owners.

* * *

 **If every simple song I wrote to you**

 **Chapter two**

Were they even friends to begin with?

Annabeth had her head down as she tried not to look at the students entering the classroom. Her hand gripped her pencil tightly as she pretended to scrawl down some notes, and she tried with all of her willpower not to grab her iPod, which she always sought when she wanted to distract herself.

But then amongst the noise of the other students was the sound of muffled music being played through a pair of headphones, and Annabeth just _knew_ that the object of her frustrations just arrived.

She couldn't help it; she looked up to see him.

'Lo and behold: Percy Jackson entered the classroom in his scowling glory. He had one of his backpack straps slung over one of his shoulders, and he had on a pair of dark skinny jeans and another one of his band shirts ( _Green Day_ , this time, with what looked like a bomb on the print). Unlike the last time she saw him, his face was free of eyeliner and his hair was free of hair gel. He was sporting bedhead underneath his dark blue headphones.

It was as if nothing had changed at all.

But for some reason, Annabeth thought he looked just as handsome as he did the last time she saw him.

And _oh dear gods_ that thought alone meant that _a lot_ had changed since then.

She groaned internally and suppressed the will to smack herself. She immediately looked down once he sat down on his usual seat a few desks in front of hers (because, despite his amazing poems, Ms. Hudson still thought him as a troublemaker and made him sit at the front). He hadn't noticed her staring, so she sent a silent thanks to whoever was up there. She resumed her nonsensical scribbling.

But then a few seconds later she felt someone looking at _her_ , so she brought her head up, and sure enough, she was met with a pair of green eyes.

And a smirk, apparently. Percy was smirking at her, his body angled in such a way that his elbow was on the backrest of his chair and that he was facing her. He held up one of his hands and he gave a small wave to say _hello_.

Ms. Hudson suddenly entered the classroom, so the class immediately settled down.

Percy sent a wink before turning back to the front.

What was wrong with Annabeth and why was it she wanted to die suddenly?

Thankfully Ms. Hudson chose the moment to put the class in order. She stood up straight in front with her usual stack of papers in hand, before making her rounds and giving everyone the poems they submitted the week before.

Then came her usual smile for the boy in front. "Amazing as always, Percy," she said.

That's usually the part where Annabeth's blood begins to boil. That's where her pride is wounded, and that's where she gets the fierce determination to do better _again_ next week.

But instead her mind went back to last Friday night, when she drove almost to the edge of the next town and where she met Percy Jackson in his final form (or really just with his eyeliner and guitar).

And then suddenly, it was as if a bright, shining light bulb appeared at the top of her had.

Because she _understood_ now.

Oh dear gods she understood the guitar and the music and the amazing poems and the—

Once the bell rang for next period, she stood up quickly along with the rest of the students, which was weird and something she didn't usually do. She'd usually stay back in class, taking time to arrange her things or asking the teacher some additional stuff about their lesson for the day. But today she was quickly out the door, even pushing some of her classmates that got into her way.

Percy usually went in the direction opposite of her next class, and today was no exception. She, however, had to make the detour.

"Percy!" Annabeth called out to him, ignoring the surprised looks the other teenagers gave her because _why was Annabeth Chase going to talk to that creepy kid?_

She wasn't sure herself.

Even Percy looked just as surprised. He had one of his eyebrows raised as he greeted her. "Chase."

"I get it now," she said quickly and direct to the point. "Your poems. Why Ms. Hudson thinks they're so good."

He cocked his head to the side. "Huh?"

"I used to just think that she had a massive crush on you," she continued. "Because you know, she makes you sit at the front _and_ she thinks your poems are amazing. But I get it now. You _write_ songs!"

"So, I do." He shifted his weight onto his other leg, one hand still clutching the strap slung on his shoulder. "Um, your point?"

"That's… that's _amazing_ , actually," she allowed. Weird. She wasn't used to giving someone compliments; usually _she_ was the receiving end of them. She wasn't even sure why she was being nice to Percy Jackson, even after all the times he unconsciously annoyed her for writing better pieces than she did.

But his ability to be better in English class made sense now.

He _wrote_ songs.

And the thing was… Annabeth _liked_ musicians. And maybe that was the reason why she couldn't get Percy out of her head during the last weekend. Maybe that was the reason why she kept thinking about his band and what kind of songs they played. Maybe that was the reason why she just _had to_ run after him despite the consequences being a tardy slip from the next teacher.

"Your band." It was her turn to adjust herself. So maybe it was kind of awkward that they stopped in the middle of the hallway with a lot people giving them weird looks. "Do you guys play your own songs?"

He actually smirked. "Maybe you'll just have to find out for yourself, Chase."

Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion, so he laughed and actually reached out a hand to muss up her hair.

" _Hey_ ," she complained.

He snorted as he placed the offending hand in his pocket. "We play every Friday night. _Masen's_ bar in the next town. You should come with and see the awesomeness."

She thought about the impending exams she had on the next week and internally cringed. "Um…"

"Oh, no," he started laughing again. "Don't tell me you're going to study!"

Her cheeks were starting to color, like she hadn't been embarrassed since the beginning. Still, Annabeth managed to glare at him. "What's wrong with that?"

"Liven up a little, Chase." He grinned smugly, taunting her. "It's just one night. You have the whole weekend to work on school."

"No, thank you," she said, mainly because she was just annoyed that Percy got her to blush. Okay, this conversation was _seriously_ getting out of hand. She needed to end it before she could conclude that she was delusional and that she could actually _like_ him.

"And here I was thinking I was starting to get to you." He shrugged. "Oh, well. Suit yourself."

The bell rang again for its final warning.

"Aw," Percy teased her. "Now I got you to be late to class. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were starting to have a crush on _me_ , Chase." He ruffled her hair once more, giving her another wink once he pulled away. "I'll see you around."

He left her standing alone in the hallways.

She was late to her next class, all right.

* * *

The shouting was becoming too much these days, and her iPod was failing her to no end.

Rolling her eyes and shutting her book, she turned off her night lamp and stood up from her desk, moving towards her bed instead. It didn't take long before she buried herself under her covers and even under her pillows, but her senses were still hyper aware of the screaming match that was occurring in the next room.

Athena's opportunity to work in Greece was becoming more achievable in the passing days, and Frederick's frustrations of having to move to a different country were growing at the same time. Annabeth's parents both wanted different things. They always have. It was a miracle that they managed to stay together _this_ long for Annabeth.

Debussy's _Clair de Lune_ was up next on her iPod, and for a while there was an ugly contrast of soft piano music against the loud voices of her parents. Annabeth remembered a certain green-eyed rock star and a particular conversation about this piece that occurred exactly a week ago.

Suddenly she was struck with an idea.

And Percy was right, anyway. She had the rest of the weekend to study.

In the next few minutes she stood in front of her closet. What do you wear to a bar, exactly? She wasn't even sure what type of place it was, nor what kind of people frequented there. Did she have to dress up the way Percy did—all dangerous-looking and dark and _punk_ and extremely _hot_ and—

 _Whoa_. Okay. One thought at a time.

Percy was going to be there for sure.

Did she… did she want to _impress_ him?

Pushing all embarrassing thoughts aside, she finally settled for a pair of black skinny jeans and a red flowing blouse held together by thin shoulder straps. She managed to dig out her own pair of black Converse and a black handbag she hadn't used in a while.

Okay. So she'd never been out for something like this before. Dear gods, she was going to need all of her luck and confidence.

As she stepped out of her house and headed for her car that night, she convinced herself that she was doing this for her to get out of here, and _not_ because she wanted to see Percy.

When she turned on her iPod to make it resume playing, _Clair de Lune_ was still on.

She tried not to smile.

Yup. Definitely for her.

* * *

The place looked like it was actually _jumping_ to the beat playing inside.

When Annabeth entered _Masen's_ , she felt thoroughly out of place. Inside there were people dancing to the band playing on the small stage at the front. There was a counter with people holding their glasses up and shouting the lyrics to whatever song was playing. And since her entrance, she could've sworn she already counted three couples making out.

On the stage were four people in the same type of clothing she saw Percy wore. By the front microphone and probably the lead vocalist was a blond guy with blue eyes. By the keyboards was a lanky guy with curly brown hair, and the drums a dark-haired boy who was really pale.

And then there was Percy, who was to the right of the lead singer and was holding a sleek black electric guitar. He was bouncing to the music as his hands worked its magic on the instrument, and it looked like he was biting his lip to keep himself from grinning too much.

Annabeth had to stop in her tracks because _he looked really, really great, okay?_

It wasn't long before he finally caught her staring at him from down below the stage, and his expression when he saw her almost made the trip to this town worth it.

It was as if he couldn't stop himself; Percy waved at her mid-song… and there was suddenly a missing beat to their performance.

The rest of the members continued playing, but the lead singer immediately turned his head to where Percy was standing and raised an eyebrow. Percy went back to the song immediately, but this time he wasn't biting his lip to keep his grin from showing. The blond guy followed Percy's gaze and his eyes landed on Annabeth. He shot Annabeth a confused look, before turning back to Percy and shrugging, resuming his singing as if nothing happened.

For the millionth time since her first conversation with Percy Jackson, Annabeth had to keep herself from blushing.

She didn't know much about the scene in front of her, but she was certain about one thing – Percy's band was _good_. The longer she listened, the longer she actually wanted to join the jumping crowd in front of her. She wasn't into _this_ type of music, no, but she figured she could make an exception to what Percy's band was singing.

And it didn't help that Percy was looking at her from then on. Sometimes he'd sing back-up, and he didn't actually sound so bad. He looked like he'd been playing for a really long time.

Finally, the blond in front cried out, "Thank you, _Masen's!_ We're _The Excursion_ and we'll see you next Friday!" All four members of the band waved enthusiastically before hopping off the stage.

It didn't take long for Percy to find Annabeth, awkwardly standing with the rest of the crowd.

"Looking good, Chase!" He grinned at her, pushing past all the people and ignoring those who wanted to talk to him. He surprised her by hugging her when he finally reached her. "Hey, you actually came!"

She stood frozen in her spot.

Someone pulled him away from her and he playfully pouted. Annabeth peered to see the three other people who were up on stage with him. The lead-singer-slash-blond had his hand on Percy's shoulder. He grinned sheepishly at Annabeth.

"You'll have to forgive him," he said. "He's usually the one who gets the _worst_ performance high. I'm Jason." He extended his hand for her to shake.

Annabeth nodded, shaking Jason's hand. "You guys were great." The other members were staring at her with amused looks on their faces. "Uh, hi."

The one she recognized as the keyboardist bonked Percy on the head. "Introduce us to the pretty lady, you idiot."

Percy swatted his hand away. "Go away; she's _my_ guest." He stood next to her and playfully wrapped an arm around her shoulders and ruffling her hair like he did back at school when he invited her. "Boys, meet Annabeth. Annabeth, this is _The Excursion._ Jason, lead vocals. Leo, keyboards and sometimes bass. Nico, drums. And then of course, there's the _hottest_ member—"

"You don't have to introduce me _twice_ , Perce," the one named Leo snickered, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Nico snorted. "Yeah, I'm going to go get some drinks. You guys in?"

Jason and Leo murmured their approval, but Percy stayed put with his arm around Annabeth.

(And she, of course, was left trying not to be flustered at having him so close to her.)

"Nah, I'm good." Percy looked down to grin at her. "Annabeth?"

"Uh, I'm okay, thank you."

Nico shrugged. "Suit yourself. And take your arm off the poor girl. You're sweaty as hell."

Percy made a show of nuzzling his head onto her hair. Jason waved his hand in goodbye, shooting Percy an amused look and moving to follow Nico.

"You're a freaking flirt, Jackson," Leo snorted before jogging off to his friends' direction. "It was nice meeting you, Annabeth!"

"Nico's right, you know," Annabeth said once the rest of the band disappeared into the sea of people. She carefully removed the arm on her shoulders, stepping slightly away from him. "You're really sweaty."

He chose to smirk at her instead, all hyperness from earlier probably wearing off. "What changed your mind about coming, Chase? Couldn't stand not seeing me in my most amazing glory?"

She scoffed. "You wish, Jackson."

"Oh, how I do," he snickered. "But seriously, though. What brings you here?"

Something on her face must've gave it away, because suddenly his expression changed. His eyebrows furrowed and he actually looked… concerned?

"Parents?" he guessed.

She didn't know what made her trust him. She nodded mutely.

"Oh," he said. "Well, do you want to get out of here, anyway?"

The place wasn't actuallsy _that_ bad, despite it being definitely weird and definitely new to her world, but she had enough experimenting for the night. "Please?"

She saw him nod against the dim lights, a serious expression on his face. He surprised her by taking her hand and using it to guide her outside the mass of people. Outside was a whole lot colder than the inside of the bar, and she shivered once she remembered what she was wearing.

"You okay?" he asked once they were safely outside. Muffled party music could still be heard from the inside, but it was finally relatively quiet.

"Yeah. Uh, won't your friends wonder where you are?"

He smiled slightly. "Nah, they're used to me just disappearing. Unfortunately, that usually ends up with me not having a ride home."

She finally noticed that their hands were still entwined. Her cheeks burned as she slowly tried to pry his fingers away.

"I can… uh," she stuttered. What was wrong with her tonight, _seriously?_ "I can give you a ride home."

"Why, Chase." He playfully clutched his chest with one of his hands. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Annabeth scowled at him. "You're making it difficult to be nice to you."

"So I've been told." He cocked his head to the side. "Seriously, though. Is that okay? I have a feeling you don't want to go home yet."

"I don't," she agreed. "But… I've got nothing else to do, anyway. Might as well stock up on the good deeds."

"I like the way you think," he said before his eyes widened. "Hey, I've got an idea. Hold on. I'll just grab my guitar and then we'll go, yeah?"

She nodded. "I'll be here."

Percy reentered the bar but just as quickly emerged with a guitar case on one hand and a black leather jacket draped on his shoulder. He took the jacket with his free hand when he saw her, and he extended said hand towards her, offering the item.

"Here," he said. "You look cold. Where's your car parked?"

"Uh… thank you," she muttered, not at all refusing to take the jacket because she really was cold. What weirded her out, however, was how he was being a sweetheart to her right now. Granted, he was also sweet the last time, but she couldn't figure him out since he easily shifted to his cocky self.

She led him to where her car was parked a few lots away from the bar. Just like the last time, he shoved his guitar into the backseat before hopping onto the front next to her.

"Is that your electric guitar?" She asked once she got into her side, using the rearview mirror to eye the guitar worriedly.

"Uh, my acoustic," he said, strapping himself onto the seat with the seatbelt. "The guys like to fool around before shows, so I bring that thing along. It's the first one I ever got, actually."

"Really? How old is _The Excursion?_ "

"Almost three years." He grinned. "We started out freshmen year. We kind of sucked then. I mean, Jason and the rest of the guys all went to another school, so we didn't have practice that much. We're just kind of being serious now because apparently, a lot of other people enjoy our music."

"And you write the songs."

"I write the songs." He turned to her and smirked. "Why? Does that turn you on, Chase?"

"Shut up." Her cheeks weren't burning, no. "Who came up with the band name, anyway?"

"Eh, Jason did." Percy shrugged. "He's actually kind of smart and thought of the name. He said it means something like… deviation? Did I say it right? Anyway, I think it describes us perfectly."

Annabeth snorted, though she was kind of impressed. "Because you guys are deviants?"

He playfully glared at her. "Because we're _different_."

She managed to laugh. "Okay, uh, where to?"

He grinned at her. "Just drive back to town, then I'll take it from there."

* * *

"Huh," Annabeth muttered, stepping out of her car. She waited before Percy was out of his side before speaking again. "I always thought you hated school."

"Oh, I do," he said, moving to grab the guitar case from the backseat. "We're only here because it's the quietest place in town. Of course, I'd take you home, but my mom's finishing a book or something. She'd yell at me to shut up."

"Isn't it a little too early for me to be meeting your mom?" She joked. "What are we doing _here_ , anyway?"

"I told you." Percy motioned for her to follow him. He ended up sitting a few spaces away from where her car was parked. "It's quiet here."

"Um, okay." She sat down next to him hesitantly. "Won't we get in trouble for being here after hours?"

He snorted, waving a hand. "Nah." He started unzipping his guitar case to reveal a blue acoustic guitar. By the base of it was the name _Perseus_ engraved. "All right. What we're going to do tonight… _you're_ going to learn how to play the guitar."

" _What?_ " She sputtered. Sure, she's loved music all her life, and she listened to a few pieces that involved the guitar, but she never actually learned how to play one. Heck, she's never even _held_ one before. "No, it's all right. You can just play for me or something."

"That's not fun. You haven't even tried yet. Here." He handed over the instrument to her and moved closer to her to help her cradle it in her arms. For the second time that night, he held one of her hands that was situated at the neck of the guitar, and he placed three of her fingers on certain strings in particular positions. "These boxes right here are called _frets_. Your pointer finger goes right… here. Yeah, that's right."

Annabeth held her breath as Percy continued to guide her fingers. "Your other two fingers go into these frets. Yeah, that looks good. That right there is a _C_ chord. Why don't you try strumming?"

She did and immediately winced. Percy laughed at her expression. "Sounds good, Chase."

"I'm terrible," she groaned.

"No, you're not," he insisted, chuckling.

It wasn't hard to fall into rhythm after that. A few learned chords and several attempts to sound good later, Annabeth looked up to see that Percy had inched closer to where they were sitting cross-legged, and she could actually feel his breath on her face and _oh gods his face was so close to hers and—_

Okay. So they're being extremely close right now. Whatever.

"…this is called a _bar_ and it's going to take some practice to get this right," he was saying and maybe she wasn't really paying attention. "This chord—it's called a _B,_ and… hey, Chase?"

She snapped back to reality. "Sorry, what?"

"Are you okay? You were gone for a while there."

"I'm fine," she insisted, internally cursing herself and settling her gaze back on the guitar and not on his stupid, _stupid_ green eyes. "So… a _B_ chord?"

She looked back at him when he didn't answer. Percy was smirking at her and had a look in his eyes that was definitely teasing.

Her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"You, Annabeth Chase…" He grinned widely and playfully reached out to tuck a loose curl behind her ear. "…you're starting to _like_ me."

" _What_?" She said again. "What— _no._ No, shut up," she sputtered, face immediately turning the offending shade of red against all her wishes. "You're an idiot. Just—shut. Up."

But he wouldn't stop smiling and he looked really, really _adorable_. "Yup," he said. For a split second, Annabeth thought that his eyes dropped down to her lips. But, really, _there was no way._

She could hear her heartbeat thumping frantically in her chest as Percy slowly leaned down towards her face. It didn't help that his hand carefully cupped her cheek, and that both of their eyes were fluttering close and—

Mozart's _Eine Kleine Nachtmusik_ started playing and Annabeth's phone was vibrating in her purse.

Percy's eyes shot open and so did hers.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid why didn't she just leave her stupid phone in her stupid car—_

"Dad?" She answered. Percy had already dropped her hand from her face and chose to study her instead. "I'm _fine_. No, I don't know what time it is. I'll be home soon, I promise."

There was a weird silence when she finally ended the call. For some reason, Percy wasn't feeling as bitter as she was.

"Interesting ringtone you've got there," he commented, a small smile gracing his face.

"I am _so_ sorry," she said, though she didn't know what she was apologizing for. For ruining what was going to _something_? Or for actually trying to _kiss_ him? Oh gods, she even felt her neck burning despite the cold.

He shook his head. "It's all right. Anyway, we've got to get you home."

"Yeah, uh, okay." They both stood up. Percy took the guitar from her and gingerly placed it back in its case. There was another quiet moment before she spoke again. "Thank you for tonight, Percy. Really." She started taking off his leather jacket and handing it to him.

"No problem. Oh, you forgot this," he said, fishing out her iPod from the pockets. Before she could apologize, he grinned and decided to grab something from his own jean pocket. It was a black music player similar to hers. "I've got an idea. Switch music with me?"

She eyed Percy's iPod with interest. "Really? You can live without _this_ for a few days?"

"Sure. Can _you_ without yours?"

She's never went long without her music. Her iPod was practically her baby. But—

"I'll try," she promised. She was smiling as she took the black item from his hands. "Does this have your songs?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. Here, you can take this, too. You're kind of shaking." He carefully draped his jacket over her shoulder. "And it looks good on you. Come on, before your dad thinks I really am a deviant."

When she finally dropped him off at his house, he smiled and gave a little wave, saying a "Good night, Annabeth" before jogging off to his front door.

It was when she finally got home that she realized that he had called her _Annabeth_ finally.

And it was when she was finally back in her bed with unfamiliar music blasting from her earphones that she didn't deny that… yeah.

She liked Percy Jackson.

 **part two of five**

* * *

 **Songs used:** _Clair de Lune_ by Debussy; _Eine Kleine Nachtmusik_ by Mozart

 **Tumblr:** itsscaryyoke.

 **Thank you for reading! Comments? Questions? Leave a review! :) -YJ**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own PJO, HoO, the songs mentioned, and any other familiar references in this story. All rights belong to their respective owners.

* * *

 **If every simple song I wrote to you**

 **Chapter three**

Annabeth already knew what was coming when she sat down for breakfast.

It was written all over her parents' faces. They both had determined and serious expressions, and really, the least they could do was look even just a little bit guilty for her. She wanted to roll her eyes at the absurdity of it all. Did her parents really think that she didn't know what was going on?

Heck, the kids from about a block away could hear them arguing every night.

Thank the gods her parents had at least prepared a decent breakfast for when she received the news. They prepared her favorites today – toast bread with melted butter and sunny side-ups. There was a glass of fresh milk, too, along with an apple.

The best part?

Her parents were actually present. Annabeth couldn't remember the last time the three of them had sat down for a meal together. Wasn't it ironic, though? That they were together to tell her the news that they were about to be separated?

Did she try hiding the bitterness?

Kind of. There was breakfast, anyway. And she was a good girl.

"Annabeth," her mother started. "Your father and I have something very important to tell you."

"But before we say anything," her father added. "We want you to know that we love you very much, and that we always have you as our first priority."

Cliché, but she didn't say anything. Annabeth chewed on her toast and stared pointedly at the people who were, unfortunately, strangers to her for the past few months.

"Annabeth," Athena said her name again. "Your father and I are getting a divorce."

She didn't miss a beat. "I know. Is there anything else?"

Okay. So maybe she didn't really hide the bitterness.

Frederick turned to look at Athena with a panicked look. Maybe they weren't expecting her reaction, or her to actually know. Her parents were smart, but really? How _gone_ were they in the past months that they've been arguing?

"Well, uh…" Athena actually stuttered. "I'm moving out in a few days. Honey, I received an amazing job opportunity in Greece that I simply cannot decline. Your father and I… we both want different things, Annabeth."

"It hasn't been working out," Frederick said. "It hasn't been for a long time now. Your mother and I are sorry, but we both believe that this is for the best."

Athena's hand reached across the table to squeeze Annabeth's free one. "You're a smart girl, Annabeth. I'm sure you'll find it in your heart to understand."

She heard these lines before, in movies or in shows wherein the parents tell their children the impending doom that is the D-word. She didn't think that she herself would be hearing those words. She should've expected it after months of hearing the screaming through the walls. She _knew_ this was coming.

So why was she still feeling like – _sorry_ – shit?

Annabeth's next move probably wasn't the best, but her parents couldn't blame her, right? She stood up from her chair and picked up her backpack from the floor. "I have to go," she told her parents. "I'll talk to you guys later."

She needed to think.

When she got into her car and plugged the iPod that wasn't hers, she found herself being comforted by the music that belonged to someone else.

* * *

She was still pretty distracted by the time she entered her English class.

Percy must've noticed because he raised an eyebrow when she only waved her hand in _hello_. In the past two weeks where they came to know each other, they ignored the fact that they almost kissed once upon a night and actually became real friends.

It started off on the first English class right after the night he taught her how to play the guitar. When he walked in and saw her in her usual seat, he made a face that made her want to laugh, although she had completely stood her ground. When Percy pouted at her poker face, she finally gave in and sent him an amused smile. After that, it was as if it became his personal mission to make her laugh. He'd tell random (and really bad) jokes in the hallway, or he'd stick his tongue out whenever they would pass by each other.

Sometimes they would talk about music while he stood next to her by her locker, although they had yet to exchange back their music players. On the one day Annabeth didn't have her friends to sit next to at lunch, she had taken the plunge and sat at his table where he was alone, ignoring all the weird looks that the rest of the student body gave them.

Sure, Annabeth had friends, but they were more acquaintances or people who would ask her what the homework was for the next day. She could count with one hand the number of people she had an actual conversation with.

But with _Percy…_ boy, was he something else. Underneath all the black clothing, Annabeth discovered that he was a sweetheart and a goofball and just _ugh_ —someone she could actually call her best friend.

(He was still annoying and terribly cocky, though, but she figured those were a given and those were two things she can't really get rid of).

Oh, and of course there were the songs he wrote. He had never actually played or sang for her, but there were songs under the artist _The Excursion_ on his iPod, and Annabeth guessed that it was Jason who was singing Percy's words. If it was Percy's mission to make her laugh, _hers_ was finally getting him to sing for her.

But back to the present.

Percy had made a ridiculous-looking face at her, but she merely waved at him for acknowledgement at least, before sitting down on her seat a few chairs behind his. She slumped down once she made it to her usual spot, covering her face with her hands and letting her head hit the table because _she was just really, really tired, okay?_

She was internally groaning about her parents and her misery and about being tired for no real physical reason when she heard Percy's voice next to her.

"Hey, you're on my seat," he was saying.

"But…" Annabeth recognized the other voice to be Grover Underwood's, the guy she usually sat next to in this class. He sounded like he was quivering. "…it's not?"

Annabeth finally looked up to see Percy standing over Grover's desk, one of his hands on his jean pocket and the other clutching the strap of his backpack slung on his shoulder. He had a bored look on his face, but it was obvious that he was trying to look scary for Grover. It looked like it was working.

"My seat." Percy kicked the foot of the desk. "You're on it. Get up."

Annabeth managed to roll her eyes. Unlike Grover, she wasn't afraid of him. "Leave Grover alone, Percy. Your seat's at the front."

Percy cocked his head to the side so he could look at her. "No, it's not."

"Um," Grover squeaked out. "I'm okay. Uh, I'll… I'll move."

Annabeth sighed. "Grover—"

But the poor boy was already grabbing his things hurriedly and was bumping several other chairs so he could get away from the scene already. He ended up in Percy's usual seat in front.

Annabeth glared at Percy finally. "That was _rude_. Go apologize."

But he ignored her tone, choosing to drop his bag onto the floor and settling onto his new seat. He looked at her with concerned eyes instead, not sending her the usual mischievous grins he gets when he's annoying her and being cocky about how handsome he thought he was.

"So," he started carefully, ignoring the fact that she was scowling at him right now. "I looked up Bach's _Air_ last night after listening to it on your iPod. I think I can actually play it after learning it."

She realized that he wasn't going to budge. She sighed, giving him a small smile before averting her gaze again. "That's great, Percy."

Something nudged her leg. She raised an eyebrow when she saw that Percy playfully stretched his leg towards her, nudging her thigh with his foot. "Hey." His black Converse met her jeans, poking. "What's wrong?"

" _Percy_." She kicked his foot away, chuckling lightly. Why was it that he already knew how to make her laugh, even though they just started becoming friends?

Their other classmates were trying hard not to stare. Apparently, they still weren't used to the odd interaction Percy and Annabeth seemed to already have. The straight A student and the scary punk kid? No way. How did that even happen?

"You're sad," he stated, bringing his foot down finally. "I'd take off my shirt for you, but I'm afraid you're not the only one who's going to be brought out of misery."

She stuck her tongue out at him, trying to tell her brain to _shut up_ and not make all the blood rush to her face right now. "You're a loser."

"A _handsome_ loser, but that doesn't change the fact that you're upset."

Unfortunately, that's when Ms. Hudson chose to enter the classroom, stack of last week's poems in hand and ready for giving out. She seemed surprised when the first thing she saw was Grover Underwood on Percy's usual spot, but she merely huffed and said nothing, initiating her rounds around the room.

(Annabeth's theory that Ms. Hudson had a thing for Percy still stands, but _whatever_. It's not like she can blame the poor teacher.)

Apparently, Annabeth really was distracted and out of it, because when Ms. Hudson finally reached her table and handed in her poem, Annabeth stared at her paper for a good five seconds, before she heard Percy speak beside her.

"Uh, I'll take her poem, Ms. Hudson," Percy said, reaching towards Annabeth's table and snatching the paper held by the teacher's outstretched hand.

Ms. Hudson raised a questioning eyebrow but moved to the next desk without another word.

"Nuh uh," Percy chastised her when she extended her hand towards him and asked for her paper back. "I'm keeping this while you try to function for the rest of the class."

She did as she was told.

Once class was finally over, she stood up like the rest of the students and began to pack her things. She suddenly froze when she felt two arms wrap around her frame.

She didn't know what to feel, and thankfully she had his back turned to him so he couldn't see that she was practically red all over her tan face.

"What is up with you today?" Percy asked before pulling away and ruffling her hair (because that became his thing, for some reason). The bell rang, not giving her any time to answer, so he just grabbed her backpack before she could and carried it along with his own. "Come on, you're going to be late to your next class. Uh… Biology, was it?"

"Yes," she answered. "But _you're_ going to be late for yours. So just—"

He swatted her hand away when she tried to reach for her bag. "You're going to be late," he insisted. "Let's go."

She had long ago discovered that arguing with him when he was _this_ insistent was almost impossible, and right now she was honestly too tired to make an effort. She followed him as they walked towards her next classroom, ignoring the almost smug way Percy was carrying two bags, one on each of his shoulders. She could feel people staring and whispering, but whatever. This handsome boy was her best friend and he was being sweet to her; who would feel bad about that, honestly?

Percy carefully slid her bag off his shoulder once they stopped at the door of their desired destination. He playfully placed both straps on her shoulder before hugging her for the second time that day. She felt like a little kid and she couldn't believe this doofus was taking care of her, and she felt even more of his gentleness when she suddenly felt his lips at the top of her head.

Oh, gods, she wanted to die.

"You be okay now," he told her once he pulled away, winking at her and probably enjoying the look she had on her face. "I'll see you at lunch, yeah?"

Annabeth nodded mutely, ignoring the ruckus her heartbeat was making and the way her classmates were gaping at her.

* * *

"Um, honey?"

Annabeth looked up from what she was reading to see her father standing in the doorway. He looked utterly confused about something, but she was honestly too surprised to see him in her room for the first time in forever to actually form coherent words.

After school, she immediately drove Percy to his house before going home herself. Her parents miraculously didn't leave for work that day – (Frederick was busy sorting out whatever, and Athena was busy packing all over stuff since she was leaving soon) – so they were home when she arrived.

She wasn't ready to talk to them, no, so she trudged up the steps almost too quickly and shut herself in her room to study. It had been hours since, and she adamantly refused to eat dinner when they asked her to. She was aware that she was being a child, but she understood that the situation was _that_ bad, so she allowed herself to be one for once. She was tired and she was hungry and she just wanted to curl up in her bed and listen to Percy's music, but—

"Yeah, dad?"

"There's someone downstairs to see you?" It came out like a question. "I didn't recognize him as one of your friends, so he's kind of outside waiting—"

"Dad!" She gaped at him, immediately standing up from her desk and moving to put some shoes on. "Why didn't you let him in?!"

She didn't even need to second-guess whom his father meant.

Frederick had his hands up, defending himself and probably shocked at her outburst. "I didn't know him! He looked like, well, _trouble_ and he's got this huge black bag and I don't know what's inside! _Plus_ , your mother's got boxes everywhere and she's making a complete mess—"

"His name is Percy, dad." She managed to roll her eyes, but she hated to admit that she was trying to hide a smile. When was the last time any one of her parents fussed over her and her friends like this? "And it's probably just his guitar that he's brought. Tell him I'll be right down."

"Oh. Well, should I let him in?"

She shook her head, moving to her closet to look for a nice sweater. "No, that's okay. We'll probably go somewhere, anyway."

"But… it's a school night."

Annabeth pulled away from her closet just so he could see her raise an eyebrow.

"Right." Frederick changed his mind. "I'll tell this Prissy you won't be long."

" _Percy_ , dad."

"Perry. Okay."

" _Percy_."

But he was already long gone, muttering something about "scary teenagers" under his breath.

Annabeth double-checked her appearance before finally heading down (and, _no_ , it wasn't because she wanted to look good for him, _shut up_ ). Her mother and father merely watched her as she sprinted towards the door and opened it.

Percy was sitting on her porch steps with his back turned to her. Sure enough, he had his guitar case right next to him.

"Hi," she greeted him, walking up to where he was sitting and grabbing a fistful of his hair playfully. "What are you doing here?"

He pretended to glare at her, grabbing her hand in his hair and pulling her down to sit with him. He didn't let go, however. "Just thought I'd check up on you."

"You were with me the whole day," she reminded him, nudging his legs with their entwined hands. "What's the _real_ reason you're here? Shouldn't we be going on at least a few dates before you meet my parents?"

He pursed his lips as if he were considering. "That would be too late, though. I already met your dad."

She huffed as she remembered. "Oh, yeah. I'm sorry about that. He's just kind of—"

"Scary?" He visibly gulped, glancing back at her front door and dropping her hand suddenly. "Intimidating? My original plan's cancelled, by the way, since he asked me to not keep you out so late. You know, school night and all. I wish I thought this through."

"Wait, what?" Her eyebrows met. "What do you mean? Where are we going?" And what in the world did his father say to make this seemingly scary boy in front of her terrified?

"Nowhere," he said, determination crossing his face, before his broke into a sheepish expression. "We're staying here and I'm going to be hoping that your parents aren't listening to us right now because _oh gods_ that's going to be embarrassing—"

"They won't," she told him, although she was also sort of assuring herself. She felt like her parents owed her the privacy, anyway. She'll just have a whole other reason to mope if she found them watching by the window, or worse—with their ears pressed up against the front door to eavesdrop.

"If you say so," he said, shrugging and reaching for his guitar case to free the instrument inside. He pulled out his blue guitar and set it on his lap. He also pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "Here."

"What's this?" she asked, curiously unfolding the crumpled sheet. When she did, she immediately recognized her handwriting. "Is this—"

"Your poem." He nodded. "The one Ms. Hudson returned today. I hope you don't mind; I tinkered with it a bit."

Then he started plucking the strings of his guitar, and Annabeth's ears were filled with a melody that she did not recognize. Her eyes were wide as she kept staring back and forth between his eyes and his fingers, her mouth forming a small "o" and just pure amazement overwhelming her. She once saw him play at the bar long ago, sure, but this time he was actually playing for _her_.

Just when she thought the moment couldn't get any better, he started _singing_.

Percy Jackson, the boy who annoyed her for writing better poems in class, was singing for _her_.

Except—

The words he was singing weren't his own. Annabeth looked down at the paper she was holding, and sure enough, the lyrics matched the words she wrote for her poem.

And that was all it took for her to gape at him for the entire song.

Percy sang without breaking eye contact, smiling slightly at the reaction she produced. He even added a small guitar solo, plucking like the professional he was and not even bothering to look at his fingers as he continued with his riffs.

He bit his lip as he finished with the last chord. Her face was probably a mess of different emotions; she wanted to throw his blue guitar onto the grass and hug him as tightly as she could.

"You…" She started, shaking her head in disbelief and biting her own lip to keep herself from smiling too widely. "You put melody into my words."

"The term here is _your words_." He grinned at her. "This is your song, Annabeth."

"But _you_ made it into one," she breathed, still not believing the amazingness the boy in front of her seemed to possess. "Oh gods, Percy. That… that was…"

"Hey, now," he teased. "Am I making you speechless? Now this is a sight to behold."

"Shut up," she laughed, really wanting to hug him. "That was beautiful. You're so _awesome_ at this. And you did it all this afternoon when we got back from school?"

"The melody was stuck with me for a while," he admitted, shrugging. "I just needed the words and when I read your poem after English, well, let's just say I thought it fit. I hope that's— _hey_. Are you _crying_?"

Annabeth would've laughed at him if it weren't for her pathetic reaction. He was suddenly all over the place, his panic evident by the way he frantically and loudly placed his guitar onto the porch floor. He closed the space between them, hugging the life out of her and allowing her to bury her face onto his chest.

"S- _sorry_ ," she choked out, chuckling at herself and forcing another sob down her throat. "Ew, I'm so gross and I'm making your shirt wet—"

"It's okay, babe," he laughed quietly, and Annabeth wanted to smack him for the nickname. He'd jokingly called her that in the past few days, and even more so when it was obvious that it annoyed her. He lived to embarrass her, honestly.

"I'm sorry," she said again, pulling away slightly so she could look at him. "It's just— _ugh_. Rough day." _And you made it better. So, so much better oh gods you're the most amazing and sweetest guy to ever walk this earth._

"I could tell. Did you like it?"

"What?"

"The song. Uh… did you like it?"

"Are you kidding me?" she laughed. "I _loved_ it, Percy. Thank you."

"Anything for my new best friend." The smile he gave her was so genuine she wanted to cry all over again. "Now, are you finally going to tell me what was up with you today?"

"Percy Jackson, did you make that song to _bribe_ me into telling you?" She joked, but she shook her head almost immediately and glanced back at her house. "My parents. They just told me they were going to get a divorce. My mom… she's leaving for Greece. She's packing up as we speak."

He nodded, hugging her again and resting his chin on top of her head. "That explains all the boxes I saw. Have you talked to them?"

She shook her head. "I haven't. I don't know what to say, honestly. I've been expecting it to happen, and now that it's here…" She sighed. "I'll… I'll be fine. I just need to talk to them, I promise. I took care of myself all these past few months; I'll be all right."

"Hey." She felt him kiss her hair. "You've got a cool and handsome best friend now too. You're not alone."

"He's also extremely full of himself," she snorted, finally pulling away and wiping her tears. " _Ugh_ , I'm disgusting."

"No, you're not." His hands moved to her face as he tried to help her fix her hair. She ended up swatting him away and laughing. She picked up his lying guitar afterwards, pushing towards him and replacing it on his lap.

"While you're at it," she said. "Play me some of _your_ songs."

"My, aren't we demanding?" He stuck his tongue out. "Sorry, babe. There's a reason Jason's the lead singer of the band."

"But you sound just as great!" She argued, holding his hands and forcing them onto the guitar. "There's no turning back now; you already sang for me! Please?"

He stared at her for a second, taking in the way her eyes were shining brightly and the way she was smiling shyly but playfully.

Finally, he sighed. "Which one?"

He made it look like he was annoyed, but he sang for her, anyway, and there were two more songs after that.

By the time he was running off to his house with his guitar case flailing at his side, it was already past eleven and she had the widest grin on her face.

* * *

Her parents were in the dining room when Annabeth shut the front door.

Boxes were strewn all over their house, so she had to carefully walk to not making anything topple over. Athena and Frederick were looking at her expectantly, and they both smiled slightly when they heard Annabeth's stomach grumble in the silence.

There was a box of pizza in the middle of the table, and Annabeth eyed it before clearing her throat.

"Hi." She ignored the way her voice cracked. "Are there any more left?"

Athena nodded. "Go ahead, honey. Your father and I already ate."

Annabeth didn't hesitate to sit down and open the box. She practically inhaled the first slice she got her hands on.

"So…" her mother started. "That boy who came. He had a nice voice."

Annabeth nearly choked. "You _heard_?"

"Just the singing, we promise," Frederick said sheepishly. "And maybe some laughing, too. That kid your boyfriend?"

" _Dad_." She rolled her eyes, but she could feel her cheeks betraying her. "No, he's not. His name is Percy and he's really nice."

"He probably is, dear," Athena agreed. "We're glad that there's one other person who's looking after you."

"There is us, of course," her father continued. "Honey, you know we love you, right? And that what we're doing is for the best?"

Annabeth swallowed before sighing. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry for storming off this morning."

"Oh, you had every right to storm off on us, Annabeth." Athena grinned. "We are… what's the appropriate term?"

"Dicks?" Frederick offered.

"Dad!" Annabeth gasped, mirroring her mother's horrified expression. "I mean, yeah, okay. You guys were, but I'll be fine. We're going to be fine."

"Why are _you_ surprised?" Frederick asked her. "Doesn't that Perry guy swear a lot in front of you?"

"His name is _Percy_ and he's actually really polite." She was laughing now. "He only dresses that way because of the music he's into. He's in a band."

"A band!" Frederick gasped at the same time Athena asked, "Are they any good?"

Annabeth spent the rest of the night talking to her parents until she remembered that she had school the next morning. Despite the rough start her day had, she fell asleep on her bed with a huge grin on her face.

 **part three of five**

* * *

 **tumblr: itsscaryyoke**. The link is on my profile.

Thank you for reading! Questions? Comments? Criticisms? Leave a review! :) -YJ


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